Field of the Background
The present disclosure relates to dispensing systems having wave sensing technology.
Description of the Background
Active and passive dispensers are used to deliver materials stored in containers to a surrounding environment. The materials may include volatile substances, such as fragrances, deodorants, insecticides, insect repellants, and the like. In active dispensers, such materials are diffused with the aid of fans, heaters, actuators, transducers, combinations thereof or other dynamic means for accelerating diffusion.
A common type of active dispenser receives a valve stem of an aerosol container in which the volatile material is stored. The active dispenser may trigger the valve stem to expel the material from the container, whereby the expelled material often proceeds through an additional nebulizer for dispersal as fine droplets into the atmosphere. Actuation of the active dispenser may occur in response to a manual or sensory input, or a predetermined or lapsed timed interval. For instance, an active dispenser may release a fragrant air freshener into a living room upon an activation by a user, a sensing of environmental stimuli, an occurrence of a time of day and/or a passage of a length of time. In any situation, however, the active dispenser provides diminished utility if the engaged container is depleted of the volatile material. For instance, when unrealized or forgotten by the user, the dispenser may continue to operate on an empty container, which may waste energy and batteries while providing no benefit to the user.
Attempts to indicate an end of supply have been implemented for active dispensing systems. Some dispensers count a number of emitted sprays and show when a count threshold is reached to inform the user that a refill is due. Counters, however, are unreliable since they operate independent of the actual status of the container. For instance, counters may be reset by an inadvertent user input or off-count if the user inserts a partially used or empty container.
Further, it is contemplated that there is a need for a smart dispensing system that operates based on the particular container or product received therein. Traditional dispensing systems operate with uniform dispensing methodologies regardless of the container or product used. A smart dispensing system, however, could identify a particular formulation or container and apply a best mode of operation for dispensing thereof. For instance, an inadvertent spray from an unidentified container may be avoided with a smart dispensing system capable of detecting the unauthorized container.
Presently, there is a need for an active dispenser having a sensor that is intended for sensing sound directly from the conduit of a container in order to determine a true level of material or other status of the container. There is also a need for distinguishing the sound emitted directly from the conduit from other sounds, e.g., ambient noise, actuator noise, and the like. Additionally, there is a need for a smart dispensing system that provides a reliable and optimized distribution of a volatile material. It is an object of the present disclosure to address these needs and to provide related advantages.